May 17, 2003

For the first time since 1988, the University of Kentucky men’s golf team has qualified for the NCAA Men’s Golf Championships. The Cats earned a trip to the NCAA finals on the strength of their solid three-day performance at the NCAA Men’s Central Regional at the Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan, Kan. Sophomore John Holmes led UK to a sixth-place finish at the regional with a three-day showing of two-under par. The top 10 teams from each of three nationwide regions qualified for the NCAA Championships

“It’s just an unbelievable feeling,” second-year Coach Brian Craig said. “It’s a huge tribute to how hard these guys have worked.”

“We were on the bubble for a while, but the team played beautifully on the back nine. The guys responded like champions today,” Craig said.

Kentucky’s appearance in the NCAA Championships from May 27-30 in Stillwater, Okla. will mark the program’s first trip to the finals since 1988, when Union, Ky. native Steve Flesch, a rising star on the PGA Tour, led the Cats in their post-season run.

At one point during Saturday’s competition, the Cats found themselves in 13th place, three spots shy of qualifying for the NCAA Championships. But Holmes, UK’s All-SEC performer, shot a four-under 68 on the day, leading a late Kentucky charge to an NCAA championship berth.

AGATE:

School Three Day Total1. Oklahoma State 856 -82. Illinois 861 -33. N.C. State 862 -2T4. N. Carolina 867 +3T4. Texas 867 +36. Kentucky 869 +5T7. SMU 870 +6T7. Minnesota 870 +6T7. Arkansas 870 +610. Wichita St. 871 +7

Kentucky FinishersT17. John Holmes 73-73-68-214-2T48. Mark Blakefield 70-79-71-220+4T63. Ryan Coyne 71-76-74-221+5T63. Matt Kohn67-79-75-221+5T67. Brandon Waldrop72-73-77-222+6